Car door structure



Oct. 19, 1937. A. wAsBERG CAR DOOR STRUCTUREM 'Filed March 5, 1934 4 Sheets-Sheet l INVENTOR /:ce/ Wajer ATTORNEY Oct. 19, 1937, A. WASBERG A2,096,569

CAR DooR STRUCTURE Filed March 5, 1934 4 sheets-sheet 2 INVENTOR xe/ )f1/6756er ATTORN EY Oct. `19, 1937. A. wAsBERG CAR Dooa STRUCTURE Filed March 5, 19x34 4 Sheets-Sheet-S x INVENTOR xe/ )f1/@jcar ATT RNEY Oct. 19, 193 7.

A. wAsBERG CAR DOOR STRUCTURE Filed March 5, 1954 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 l INVENTOR xe/ Washer/jg.

ATTORNEY Patented ot.19,1937 Y 2,096,569

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE CAR DOOR STRUCTURE Axel Wasberg, Chicago, Ill., assignor to Chicago Railway Equipment Company,'Chicago, Ill., a corporation of Illinois Application March 5, 1934, Serial No.k 713,970 23 Claims. (Cl. 20-22) This invention relates to sliding doors, particu verse sections taken on the corresponding section larly for railway house cars, and consists in novel lines of Figure 1.

means for applying frictional resistance to move-` Figures 8 and 8d are detail Side VieWS ShOWIlg ment of the door to prevent slamming thereof one of the door elevating bell cranks in different against the door posts. positions, the bearing tracks being sectioned. 5

Car doors mounted on roller or ball bearings Figures 9 and 9a are similar views showing have been heretofore in use and in order to preanother of the bell cranks. vent destructive slamming of the door in case of Figures 10 is a view corresponding t0 Figures sudden shocks, means have been provided for 8 and 9 but showing modified mechanism. l0 lowering the door relative to the bearings to Figures 11 and 12 are Views corresponding to 10 render the same inoperative and apply frictional Figures 1 and 2 and ShOWIiQaUOhGI mOdfCaresistance to sliding of the door. The vertical tion.

movement 0f the door has been generally effected Figures 13 and 14 are detail verticaltransverse n by providing recessses in the stationary doorway sections taken on the corresponding section lines T5 track into which the anti-friction bearings may of Figure 11. Y 15 drop, or by some form of eccentricV mounting of Figure is a detail horizontal section' taken on the bearing. In either case, a portion of the door the line 5--I5 of Figure 11. Y frictionally engages the doorway track when the Figures k16 and 1'7 areA views corresponding Vto door is lowered and means is provided for elevat- Figures 11 and 12 but showing still another modiing the door to permit normal functioning of the fcation. 20 bearings. Such devices have frequently been of Figure 18 is a detail vertical transverse section rather complicated and expensive construction, taken on line |8-I8 of Figure 16. subject to operating difficulties due to wear of Figure 19 is a detail horizontal section taken on parts, and ineffective under certain conditions. line I9--l9 of Figure 16. Y

" An object of the present invention is to pro- Figure 20 is a side view showing a detail of the 25 vide novel means for raising and lowering a slidstructure in Figure 16, portions being broken ing door relative to its bearings, which means is away and sectioned. lowered when the door is at rest and which may In .Figures 1 t`o 9a, inclusive, is shown a box be conveniently and easily raised to permit norcar sliding door formed of metal panels I, front u mal functioning of the door bearings when the and rear edge framing members 2 and 3 of Z- 30 door handle is moved in either door opening or section, member 3 being slightlyV deformed, botdeor closing direction. tom edge members 4 and 5 forming a down- Another object is to provide novel means for wardly opening bearing track or housing, and a frictionaily resisting sliding of the door which top edge frame (not shown). Any suitable type W automatically become operative when the door of door may be provided and the front and rear 35 approaches either the full open or closed position edge members 2 and 3 are suitably shaped to coto prevent slamming of the door. v Y operate with the door posts B and 1 to form Another object is to provide a device of the weather and spark seals. The door andweather above type which is sturdy, durable and economic. seal means do notv in themselves constitute the 40 of construction, simple in operation and mainpresent invention. 'I'he door is carried by means 40 tenance, and elective under the most exacting of the anti-friction balls 8 upon what may be conditions. termed the stationaryor doorway track 9 secured These objects and others hereafter appearing by brackets I0 to the car side sill Il beneath the are attained by the structures illustrated in the flooring l2.

aCCOmDalyng drawings. in WhiCh- 1n order toV prevent too free movement of the 45 Figure l is a side View o f a part of a car door door as it approaches its full open and full closed lll-lStlatUg One form 0f the nVeIltiOn. positions, the door track member 4 is slotted Figure 2 is a similar view of the same, show.- or recessed as at I3, and the balls 8 arepositioned ing the parts in a different POSOII relative thereto soV as to enter the slots when the Y Figure 3 is a fragmentary verticallongitudinal door is positioned a short distance from said full 50 section through the door and doorway bearing open and full closed positions. When the balls tracks and showing the door partially open. enter slots I3, the door will drop sulciently to Figure 4 is a horizontal section taken approxicause the lowerextremity ofthe door edge meinmatey 0n the 1in@ 4-4 0f Figure 1- bers 2 and 3 to rest on track 9, rendering the ant1- v5 Figures 5, 6, and 7 are. detail vertical transfriction bearings inoperative and applying con- 55 siderable frictional resistance or drag to further movements of the door in either direction. The slots and balls may be positioned, satisfactorily, so as to drop the door at points approximately eighteen inches from the full open and full closed positions, so that in case the door is left partially open or is not securely fastened, there will be sufficient drag to prevent the door slamming against the door post in case of a sudden jolt. y

Pivoted to brackets Ma., |50., IE-a, and I'I on the upper vertical flange 4a, of the door track member 4 adjacent slots I3 are the bell cranks I4, I5, IS, and II for elevating the door, after the balls 8 are received in slots I3, to again render the anti-friction bearings operative. The cranks have arms I8, I9, 20, and 2| pinned between the flanges of a bar 22 of inverted U-section extending above the door track and movable longitudinally to rotate all the bell cranks in unison. Secured to the center of bar 22 'is a bracket 23 having vertically spaced lobes 24. Pivoted to an extension 23a on. bracket Ia is a handle lever 25 having lugs 25 disposed to engage lobes 24 to impel bar 22 longitudinally in the same direction, that is, to the right, when the lever is swung either towards the front or rear edges of the door.

The bell cranks I4 and I6 and i5 and II are identical, these beingv shown in detail in Figures 8 and 8a and Figures 9 and 9a; respectively. With reference to Figures 8 and 8a, the crank I6 includes, besides the arm 20, a toe 2'! and a heel 28. Toe 27 is disposed to bear against the ball 8 when received in slot I3 and when the crank is rotated clockwise from the rest position shown in Figure 8, the door will be raised by leverage and the bottom surface 23 of the toe moved flush with the bearing surface of track member 4, as shown in Figure 8a. The flush position of the toe is assured by engagement of ns 33 with track 4 at the edges of slot I3. The heel 28 serves as a stop for the ball 8 to provide an initial drag and to stop the ball immediately beneath recess I3 while the door is elevated and before ball 8 has been permitted to enter the recess. Heel 28 is shown as clearing the doorway track 9 in the rest position in Figure 8, but this member may be oi suiiicient length to rest on the track in this position to provide additional frictional resistance and assist in supporting the door.

The bell crank I (Figures 9 and 9.a) includes the arm I9 and a toe portion 3| having a fiat surface 32 engaging ball 8 disposed ush with track member 4 and forming a continuation thereof, as in Figure 9a, when the door is raised. Fins 33 correspond with fins 33 in Figure 8. Depending from the extremity of the toe is a nger 34 serving as a ball stop similarly to the heel 28 in Figure 8.

The lever 25 provides a convenient handle to be grasped in sliding the door. When the lever is disposed vertically, as in Figure 1, ythe bell crank toes will be lifted, as in Figuresk 8 and 9, permitting the balls 8 to be received in recesses i3 and thereby rendered inoperative. When the lever is moved in either the door opening or door closing directions, as indicated in Figure 2, the door will be raised, permitting free sliding thereof in one direction on the anti-friction bearings. During sliding of the door by an operator, the balls will be stopped eighteen inches before the full open or full closed position is reached, but the drag will not be excessive so long as force is applied to the lever. When the k thereof.

lever is released, the door edge members 2 and 3 drop automatically onto the track 9, materially increasing the frictional resistance in either direction. Obviously, therefore, the door not free to slam against the door posts under any conditions, but upon application of force to the handle lever, may be easily moved as desired.

In Figure 10, the anti-friction balls 35 are provided with a cage 36 vto insure proper spacing The bell cranks 3lV correspond in general with the cranks 20 in Figure 8 except that no depending ball stop is provided. The remainder of the mechanism may be identical to that in the form just described. With this arrangement the door may be freely moved on its bearings so long as the handle lever (not shown) is maintained at either side of the rest position. When the lever is upright, the slots 32 will be free to receive the balls. This construction has the advantage that no frictional resistance is offered to intentional movement of the door by an operator, but in case the door is left partially open or not securely locked when closed, the bearings automatically will be rendered inoperative before the Vdoor can slam either open or closed in case of a sudden jolt. The bearing cage itself does not aiTect the operation of the device, and may be omitted. If desired, the cage may be of sufficient thickness to support the door in its lowered position and provide additional friction surface.

In Figures 11 to 15, the slots 39 in the door track member 48 are at one side thereof and are not of sufcient Width to receive the balls Fs! and drop the door. Each of the bell cranks @2 pivoted to the door trackA has a depending 1inger stop 43, insertable through the adjacent slot 39 to obstruct the ball passage, and an arm pinned to the bar 4d operated by handle lever 45, as in Figures 1 to 10. Fins [iii limit the counter-clockwisamovement of the cranks.

In order to provide additional frictional resistance, a brake 41 is carried by the door adjacent doorway track 48 by means of links i9 and 58 pivoted to a bracket 5I. Link 55 includes an upwardly projecting nger 52 forming a bell crank therewith and disposed to be engaged by bracket 53 on bar 44 to lift the brake. Since the position of bracket 53 is controlled by handle lever 45, it is obvious that when the lever is upright, as in Figure l1, the member A'I will be dropped into engagement with the track (i3 whereupon the brake will operate by toggle action to frictionally resist movement of the door in the closing direction. With the use of this type of brake, means (not shown) must be provided for preventing vertical movement of the door which would nullify the toggle effect. Preferably the ball stop cranks and brake will be operated simultaneously by a single movement of the handle lever, as shown, although the bell cranks and brake may be operated separately.

In Figures 16 to 20, the door 54 is mounted upon the stationary track 55 by means of roller bearings 5B having spindles 5l' journalled in the sides of hollow approximately semi-cylindrical carriages 58. Secured to the lower edge of the door are hollow retainer housings` 59 having downwardly opening slots 6B in their side walls receiving the eccentric trunnions 6I rigid with and projecting laterally from carriages 58. Projecting upwardly from carriages 58 are bifurcated arms 62 pinned to horizontal bar 63 which is longitudinally reciprocated by handle lever 64. Pins 6I and slots 6l) are offset from the roller spindles 51'and constitute eccentric mountings of the door on the rollers whereby reciprocation of bar 63 will raise and lower the door. Each roller and its carriages may be assembled as a unit with the bearing Yretainer S after it is permanently mounted on the door. When the leveris upright, as in Figure 16, the door will be-supported frictionally upon track 55 and the roller bearings will be inoperative. Movement ofthe lever in either direction from the center position, as indicated in Figure 1'7, will apply the weight of the door to the anti-friction bearings.

The mechanism above described is of rugged construction and is simple, convenient, and easy to operate. When the handle lever is at rest, sufficient resistance is offered to the sliding of the door as it approaches the full open and closed positions to prevent slamming thereof in either direction even in case of a heavy jolt, but manipulation of the lever in either direction avoids or materially lessens this resistance to facilitate intentional movement of the door. Moreover, in each form except Figures 11 to l5, the door lowering mechanism Will function .automatically to prevent destructive slamming and when the door is lowered resistance is applied to movement thereof in either direction.

The novel doo-r elevating mechanism may be varied in details as will occur to those skilled in the art and the exclusive use of all such modications as come within the scope of the appended claims is contemplated. l

I claim:

1. In combination, a sliding door, a track adapted to frictionally support said door in its lowered position, spaced anti-friction bearings adapted to support said door on said track in the raised position of said door, a member movable longitudinally in one direction only to elevate said door and render all of said bearings operative and movable in the opposite direction only to lower said door and render all of said bearings inoperative, and a lever pivoted to said door and swingable in door opening and door closing directions, said door being lowered in one position of said lever and said lever operating when swung in either direction from said position to move said member in the door elevating direction.

2. In combination, a sliding door, a track adapted to frictionally support said door in its lowered position, spaced anti-friction bearings adapted to support said door on said track in the raised position of said door, and means for rendering said bearings operative and inoperative comprising a continuous bar mounted on said door and movable longitudinally in opposite directions, respectively, to raise and lower said door, there being abutments on said bar spaced transversely of the length thereof and a handle lever for sliding said door and swingable from a rest position in door opening and door closing directions, said lever having elements disposed to cooperate with said abutments to move said bar in the same direction in either direction of Ylevermovement from said rest position.

pendently off the sliding movement thereof Vto render 'saidlbearing operative.' f

5.v In combination, a doorway and a sliding' door havingbearing tracks, anti-friction bearings between said' tracks, "there being recesses in said door track for receiving lsaid bearings to render the same inoperative, sliding of said door being frlctionally'resis'ted when said bearings areA in said recesses, and a memberY on said door Yto be grasped by the vhand of. an operator to open said door and mechanism` operatedA automatically by door opening movement of said member for elevating said door track independently of the sliding movement of said door to avoid said resistance and. render said bearings operative.

6. In combination, a doorway, a sliding door having a bearing track, an anti-friction bearing for supporting said door track in said doorway in the raised positionof said door, and a recess inA said track for receiving vsaid bearing to render the same inoperative, said bearing and said recess being disposed'to interengage when vsaid door is spaced from its extremity 'of movement in one direction to apply av dragto further movement Yof the door in said direction and means for relieving the door'or" drag during initial movement of the door 'in the opposite direction.V

7. Structure as specied in claim 6 in which re.- cesses are providedin said door track for respectively receiving said bearing as the door' approaches its full openand its full closed positions to apply arbrake to `movement ofV said doorV to either of said positions.

` 8. In combination, a'doorway and a sliding door having" bearing tracks, an anti-friction: bearing forsupporting said door trackon said doorway track in the raised position 'of said door, a recess in said door trackV spaced from the front and rear edges of said door' for receiving said bearing to lower said door and 'apply a drag to movement thereof in one' direction, and door raising mechanism including an element depending from said track adjacent said recess for stopping movement of said door in'said direction relative to said bearing, said element resting on said doorway track when said door is lowered to relieve said bearing of the weight of 'said door. I Y

9. In Acombinationga doorway, a sliding door having a bearing track, an anti-friction bearing for supporting said door trackin'said doorway in theraised position of said door, a recess in said door track for receivingsaid bearing to lower said door and apply resistance to movement thereof in one direction, and a member on saidY doorV adjacent said recess and adapted to be moved to engage said bearing when in said recess and raise said door, said member having a surface flush with said door track and forming part thereof when said door is raised.

'10. In combination, a doorway, a sliding door having a bearing track, an anti-friction bearing for supporting said door track in said doorway in the raised position of said door, a recess inrsaid door track for receiving said bearing tolower said door and apply resistance to movement thereof, anda member pivoted on said door adjacent said recess and including a stop element for engaging said bearing to limit relative. movement ofthe same and said door, structure for raising said door when saidmember is rotated, and a surface disposed to lie iiush with said door track in said recess to prevent the entrance of said bearing into said recess when said door is raised.

11. In combination, a doorway, a sliding door having a bearing track, an anti-friction bearing for supporting said door track in said doorway when said door is in its raised position, a recess in said track for receiving said bearing to lower said door and apply resistance to movement thereof, a bell crank having an arm arranged when rotated in one direction to raise-said door, and a handle lever facilitating sliding movement of said door and operatively associated with the other arm of said bell crank, said bell crank being rotated in the door raising direction to render said bearing operative when said lever is rotated in either the door opening orthe door closing direction. Y

12. Structure as specified in claim 11 in which a plurality of said bearings, recesses, and the associated bell cranks are provided and all of said bell cranks are operated by said lever.

'13. Structure as specied in claim l1 in which the rst-mentioned arm of said bell crank includes a surface disposed to lie flush with said door track in said recess Vwhen said door is raised to render said bearing operative.

14. In combination, a doorway and a sliding door having bearing tracks, an anti-friction bearing supporting said door track onV said doorway track, and a stop member movably mounted on said door in position to obstruct the movement of said bearing along one of said tracks and resist the sliding of said door, and manually operative mechanism for moving said stop member from said obstructing position to permit free sliding of said door on said bearing.

l5. Structure as speci'ed in; claim 14 in which said mechanism automatically positions said bearing and said stop member to apply a drag to sliding of the door at a point spaced substantially from an extreme of movement thereof to prevent slamming.

16. In combination, doorway and sliding door members having bearing tracks, an anti-friction bearing between said tracks, means for resisting sliding of said door includinga stop element on one of said tracks for obstructing relative. movement of the same and said bearing and a device on one cf said members for frictionally engaging the other, and a handle movably mounted on said door and associated with said stop element and said device so as to render the same'inoperative when moved in one direction. i

17. Structure as specied in claim 16 in which said stop element and said device are in their operative positions when vsaid handle is in one position, said handle facilitating sliding of the door and being movable in door opening and door closing directions from said position and rendering said stop element and said deviceinoperative when moved in either of said directions.

18. Means for supporting a sliding door comprising a roller, a carriage journalling said roller and having laterally projecting trunnion structure disposed eccentrically of the roller, and a retainer for mounting said roller and carriage on the door, said retainer having a bottom opening for insertion of said carriage and roller and the sides of said retainer having downwardly opening slots for receiving said trunnion structure.

19. In combination, a sliding door, a bearing track therefor, a bearing retainer secured to said door and having a wall with a slot opening in an edge thereof, a carriage, a roller journalled therein, and means for rotating said carriage about said roller journal, said carriage having a trunnion located eccentrically of the roller journal and insertable in said slot for elevating said door, said carriage and roller being applicable as a unit to said retainer after the latter is mounted on said door and said trunnion and slot functioning to maintain said retainer, carriage, and roller assembled when mounted on said bearing track without other holding means.

20. In combination, a sliding door, a bearing track therefor, a plurality of mechanisms on said door for raising the same on said track, each of said mechanisms including a retainer secured to the door, a carriage, a roller journalled in said carriage, and a bearing on said carriage located eccentric of the roller journal for engaging said retainer, a bar engaging the carriages of each of said mechanisms and longitudinally reciprocable to rotate said carriages about said roller journal and raise and lower said door through said eccentric bearing, a handle lever pivoted to said door and swingable in door opening and door closing directions, and cooperating elements on said bar and said lever functioning to move said bar longitudinally in the door elevating direction when said lever is moved in either direction.

21. In combination, sliding door and doorway members, a bearing track rigid with said door member, an anti-friction bearing between said track and said doorway, and mechanism on said door including a lover plvoted to saidI door member and an elementl movable by said lever and cooperable with said anti-friction bearing to raise said door to cause the same to roll freely thereon and lower said door to cause the same to frictionally engage said doorway.

22. In a support for a sliding door, a housing arranged for application to the side of the door and having bottom and top openings, there being downwardly opening recesses in the sides of said housing, aroller, a carriage journalling said roller and having laterally projecting trunnions and an upwardly projecting operating arm, said carriage and roller being movable upwardly through the bottom opening in said housing v`to pass said arm through the top opening in said housing and to seat said trunnions against the upper ends of said recesses.

23. In combination, a doorway having a bearing track, a sliding door having a bearing engaging track, an anti-friction bearing for supporting said door track on said doorway track, there being a recess in said door track for receiving said bearing to lower said door onto said doorway to render said bearing inoperative, and a leverage device for elevating said door independently of sliding movement thereof to render said bearing operative. AXEL WASBERG.

DISCLAIMER 2,096,569.-Axel Wasberg, Chicago, Ill. CAR DOOR STRUCTURE. Patent dated October 19, 1937. Disclaimer iled August 28, 1939, by the assignee, Chicago Railway Equipment Company.

Hereby disclaims from the scope of claims 4, 5, 21, and 23 all devices except those in which the door operating mechanism substantially completes the elevation of the door before moving the door longitudinally of its supporting track,

.[O'ljcz'al Gazette September 19, 1939.] 

